Multi-position chair with tiltable, rotatable and slidable seat shell

ABSTRACT

A multi-position chair includes a seat shell, elongated seatbelts and a base assembly with pairs of members capable of tilting, rotating and sliding. The seat shell accommodates a child thereon. The seatbelts secure the child to the seat shell. The base assembly includes tilt, swivel and slide support mechanisms. The tilt support mechanism has first and second interfitted members pivotally coupled to one another. The swivel support mechanism has first and second interengaged members rotatably coupled to one another. The slide support mechanism has first and second intercoupled members linearly slidable relative to one another. The second intercoupled member defines a base platform for directly supporting the first intercoupled member in an upright orientation and thereby indirectly supporting, via the first intercoupled member, the first and second interengaged members and the second interfitted member in respective upright orientations.

CROSS REFERENCE(S) TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This U.S. non-provisional patent application claims the benefit of U.S.provisional patent application No. 62/272,268, filed on Dec. 29, 2015,and is hereby incorporated-by-reference herein its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to multi-position chairs and moreparticularly, is concerned with a multi-position chair with a tiltable,rotatable and slidable seat shell.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vehicular child seats are mandatory in the United States. They helpprevent children from being injured during vehicle collisions and evenduring normal starts and stops of a vehicle and jostling of itsoccupants during normal traffic conditions.

A vehicular child seat typically is designed, and rightly so, withsafeguards for the child occupant to be able to withstand these normaltraffic conditions as well as vehicular collisions. However, in the caseof a cramped smaller vehicle, this does make it difficult for a parentto secure or release the child to or from the child vehicular seat.

Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an innovation that willovercome the deficiencies of past approaches and the problems thatremain unsolved with respect to vehicular child seat design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an innovation that overcomes thedeficiencies of the past approaches and the problems that remainunsolved by providing a multi-position chair with a tiltable, rotatableand slidable seat shell adaptable to serve as a vehicular child seat andto be able to transfer it from a vehicle to a stroller.

In one aspect of the present invention, a multi-position chair includes:

-   -   a seat shell for accommodating a child thereon, the seat shell        having a bottom portion and a back portion affixed to and        extending upright from the bottom portion;    -   a child restraint on a front side of the back portion of the        seat shell for securing the child to the seat shell; and    -   a base assembly supporting the seat shell, the base assembly        including        -   a tilt support mechanism having first and second interfitted            members pivotally coupled to one another,        -   a swivel support mechanism having first and second            interengaged members rotatably coupled to one another, and        -   a base platform supporting the first and second interengaged            members of the swivel support mechanism and the second            interfitted member of the tilt support mechanism in an            upright orientation such that the first interfitted member            of the tilt support mechanism pivots relative to the second            interfitted member about a horizontal axis between upright            and tilted positions and the first interengaged member of            the swivel support mechanism rotates relative to the second            interengaged member of the swivel support mechanism about a            vertical axis extending through the bottom portion of the            seat shell in the upright position.

In another aspect of the present invention, the first interfitted memberof the tilt support mechanism includes a single lug affixed to andprotruding below an underside of the bottom portion of the seat shell.The second interfitted member of the tilt support mechanism includes apair of lugs being laterally spaced apart from one another so as toreceive and pivotally couple with the single lug between the pair oflugs. Also, the first interengaged member of the swivel supportmechanism fixedly supports the second interfitted member of the tiltsupport mechanism.

In another aspect of the present invention, a multi-position chairincludes:

-   -   a seat shell for accommodating a child thereon, the seat shell        having a bottom portion and a back portion affixed to and        extending upright from the bottom portion;    -   a child restraint on a front side of the back portion of the        seat shell for securing the child to the seat shell; and    -   a base assembly supporting the seat shell, the base assembly        including        -   a swivel support mechanism supporting the seat shell in an            upright position and having first and second interengaged            members rotatably coupled to one another, and        -   a slide support mechanism having first and second            intercoupled members being linearly displaceable relative to            one another, the second intercoupled member directly            supporting the first intercoupled member in an upright            orientation and thereby indirectly supporting, via the first            intercoupled member, the first and second interengaged            members of the swivel support mechanism in the upright            orientation such that the first interengaged member rotates            relative to the second interengaged member about a vertical            axis extending through the bottom portion of the seat shell            in the upright position irrespective of the linear            displacement of the first intercoupled member relative to            the second intercoupled member.

In another aspect of the present invention, the first interengagingmember of the swivel support mechanism includes a circular-shaped plate.The second interengaging member of the swivel support mechanism includesa cylindrical-shaped cavity supported by the slide support mechanism andreceiving and rotatably coupled to the circular-shaped plate. The secondinterengaging member also includes a circular-shaped inner rim thatoverlies a peripheral edge of the circular-shaped plate so as to retainthe circular-shaped plate within the cavity.

In another aspect of the present invention, a multi-position chairincludes:

-   -   a seat shell for accommodating a child thereon, the seat shell        having a bottom portion and a back portion affixed to and        extending upright from the bottom portion;    -   a pair of elongated seatbelts laterally spaced apart from one        another and attached to a front side of the back portion of the        seat shell for securing the child to the seat shell; and    -   a base assembly comprising        -   a tilt support mechanism having first and second interfitted            members pivotally coupled to one another,        -   a swivel support mechanism having first and second            interengaged members rotatably coupled to one another, and        -   a slide support mechanism having first and second            intercoupled members linearly slidable relative to one            another, the second intercoupled member directly supporting            the first intercoupled member in an upright orientation and            thereby indirectly supporting, via the first intercoupled            member, the first and second interengaged members of the            swivel support mechanism and the second interfitted member            of the tilt support mechanism in the upright orientation            such that the first interfitted member of the tilt support            mechanism pivots relative to the second interfitted member            about a horizontal axis between upright and tilted positions            and the first interengaged member of the swivel support            mechanism rotates relative to the second interengaged member            of the swivel support mechanism about a vertical axis            extending through the bottom portion of the seat shell in            the upright position irrespective of the linear displacement            of the first intercoupled member relative to the second            intercoupled member.

In another aspect of the present invention, the second intercoupledmember of the slide support mechanism includes a base platform defininga track. The first intercoupled member of the slide support mechanismincludes a rectangular-shaped body defining the cylindrical-shapedcavity and being mounted to the track of the base platform forundergoing linear movement in either one of opposite directions relativeto the base platform.

These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawingsand the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be describedin conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and notto limit the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 presents a top isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of amulti-position chair in accordance with aspects of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 presents a top exploded isometric view of the multi-positionchair originally introduced in FIG. 1, illustrating the seat of thechair in an upright position;

FIG. 3 presents a side elevation view of the multi-position chairoriginally introduced in FIG. 1, illustrating the seat of the chair inan upright position;

FIG. 4 presents a side elevation view of the multi-position chairoriginally introduced in FIG. 1, illustrating the seat of the chair in apartially tilted, or reclined, position;

FIG. 5 presents a side elevation view of the multi-position chairoriginally introduced in FIG. 4, illustrating the seat of the chair in afully tilted, or reclined, position;

FIG. 6 presents a front isometric view of the multi-position chairoriginally introduced in FIG. 1, illustrating the seat of the chair in apartially rotated position;

FIG. 7 presents a top isometric view of the multi-position chairoriginally introduced in FIG. 1, illustrating the seat of the chair slidin one direction to a displaced position;

FIG. 8 presents a side elevation view of the multi-position chair ofFIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 presents a longitudinal sectional view of the multi-positionchair taken along the section line 9-9 of FIG. 1.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several viewsof the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and isnot intended to limit the described embodiments or the application anduses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary”or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, orillustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or“illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other implementations. All of the implementationsdescribed below are exemplary implementations provided to enable personsskilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure andare not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is definedby the claims. For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper”,“lower”, “left”, “rear”, “right”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, andderivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1.Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed orimplied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background,brief summary or the following detailed description. It is also to beunderstood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in theattached drawings, and described in the following specification, aresimply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in theappended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physicalcharacteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not tobe considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 9, there is illustrated an exemplaryembodiment of a multi-position chair, generally designated 100, inaccordance with aspects of the present invention. The multi-positionchair 100 includes a seat shell 102 that accommodates a child (notshown) thereon. The multi-position chair 100 also includes a childrestraint such as in the form of a pair of elongated seatbelts 104employed to secure the child directly, or indirectly via an infant carseat, to the seat shell 102. The multi-position chair 100 furtherincludes a base assembly 106 supporting the seat shell 102 and havingpairs of members capable of tilting, rotating and sliding relative toeach other to change the chair 100 between multiple positions. The baseassembly 106 basically includes a tilt support mechanism 108, a swivelsupport mechanism 110, and a slide support mechanism 112.

More particularly, the seat shell 102 has a bottom portion 114 and aback portion 116 affixed to and extending upright from the bottomportion 114. Typically, the bottom and back portions 114, 116 aredisposed substantially at a right angle to one another. The elongatedseatbelts 104 are laterally spaced apart from one another, attached toupper and lower regions of the back portion 116 of the seat shell 102and extend in generally parallel relationship along a front surface 118of the back portion 116 of the seat shell 102. The seatbelts 104, beingspring-biased to a retracted position by using conventionally knownwinding mechanisms, will fit over shoulders of the child and secure thechild to the seat shell 102, or alternatively secure an infant car seatto the seat shell 102.

The tilt support mechanism 108 of the base assembly 106 has first andsecond interfitted members 120, 122 being pivotally coupled to oneanother. The first of the interfitted members 120 of the tilt supportmechanism 108 may be in the form of a single lug 120 affixed to andprotruding below an underside of the bottom portion 114 of the seatshell 102. The second of the interfitted members 122 of the tilt supportmechanism 108 may be in the form of a pair of lugs 122, being laterallyspaced apart from one another and supported by the swivel supportmechanism 110, so as to receive the single lug 120 therebetween. Whenthe single lug 120 is received between the pair of lugs 122, respectiveholes therein are aligned with one another so that a pin 124 may beinstalled therethrough so as to rotatably couple the seat shell 102 uponthe base assembly 106 for undergoing pivotal rocking or tiltingmovement, about a generally horizontally-extending longitudinal axis Adefined by the pin 124, between upright and fully tilted, or reclined,positions, as respectively seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, and to and from apartially tilted, or reclined, position, as seen in FIG. 4.

The swivel support mechanism 110 of the base assembly 106 has first andsecond interengaged members 126, 128 being rotatably coupled to oneanother. The first of the interengaged members 126 of the swivel supportmechanism 110 may be in the form of a circular- or disc-shaped plate126. The lugs 122, being the second of the interfitted members of thetilt support mechanism 108, are fixedly supported upon the circularplate 126. The second of the interengaged members 128 of the swivelsupport mechanism 110 may be in the form of a cylindrical-shaped cavity128 defined and supported by the slide support mechanism 112 thatreceives the circular plate 126 therein and has a circular-shaped innerrim 130 that overlies a peripheral edge 132 of the circular plate 126 soas to retain the circular plate 126 within the cavity 128. Whileretained within the cavity 128, the circular plate 126, and the pair oflugs 122 fixedly supported upon the circular plate 126, are able torotate about a generally central axis B extending upright through theseat shell 102, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 6.

The slide support mechanism 112 of the base assembly 106 has first andsecond intercoupled members 134, 136 being linearly displaceable, suchas slidable, relative to one another. The first of the intercoupledmembers 134 may be in the form of a rectangular-shaped body in the formof a_hollow block 134 defining the cylindrical-shaped cavity 128, beingthe second of the interengaged members of the swivel support mechanism110. The second of the intercoupled members 136 may be in the form of aplatform 136 having a base 138 and pair of opposed sidewalls 140extending upright at a corresponding pair of opposite peripheral edgeportions of the base 138 and between which the block 134 is slidablymounted. The platform 136 may be configured for attachment upon asupport surface, such as a rear seat in or the framework of anautomobile. The pair of opposed sidewalls 140 of the platform 136respectively define a pair of enclosed tracks 142 facing toward oneanother and within which are received and retained a pair of rollers 144being centrally and rollably mounted and disposed at a correspondingpair of opposite sides of the block 134. The rollers 144 may rollablytravel within the enclosed tracks 142 in either one of the oppositedirections indicated by arrows C and D, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 8 (inwhich the seat shell 102 is shown in respective rotational positionsbeing displaced ninety degrees from one another).

It can be readily understood that the platform 136 of the slide supportmechanism 112 directly supports the block 134 in a generally uprightorientation irrespective of its linearly displaced position. Also, itcan be readily understood that the platform 136, via the block 134 ofthe slide support mechanism 112, indirectly supports the first andsecond of the interengaged members 126, 128 of the swivel supportmechanism 110, the second of the interfitted members 122 of the tiltsupport mechanism 110, and ultimately the seat shell 102 in the uprightorientation when the latter is in its non-tilted, upright position.

The aforementioned base assembly 106, with its pairs of members beingcapable of tilting, rotating and sliding relative to each other tochange the chair 100 between multiple positions, may be powered manuallyor by use of strategically placed electric motors and one or morebatteries. In fact, it would be apparent to any one skilled in the artthat any mechanical mechanism on the multi-position chair 100 can bepowered or used with electrical components. The clearances between thevarious members, or parts thereof, that are moved relative to oneanother may be sufficiently close or snugly fit such that the forces offriction will retain seat shell 102 at the respective position where itis placed by manipulating the tilt, swivel and/or slide supportmechanisms 108, 110, 112. Also, the pin 124 may be removable so as toenable the seat shell 102 to be transferred from the multi-positionchair in the car and installed onto a stroller or similar apparatus. Themulti-position chair 100 may be provided for use by young children (forexample, six months to three years), and also can be installed in any ofthe rear seats of an automobile in a rear facing or front facingposition.

The above-described embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations ofimplementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles ofthe invention. Many variations, combinations, modifications orequivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departingfrom the scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that theinvention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as thebest mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that theinvention will include all the embodiments falling within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A multi-position chair, comprising: a seat shell for accommodating a child thereon, the seat shell having a bottom portion and a back portion affixed to and extending upright from said bottom portion, the bottom portion having a first fin-shaped lug depending downwardly from a lower surface thereof, the first fin-shaped lug having a transverse aperture extending completely therethrough; a child restraint on a front side of said back portion of said seat shell for securing the child to said seat shell; and a base assembly supporting the seat shell, the base assembly comprising a circular disk member having a pair of spaced-apart second and third fin-shaped lugs extending upwardly from an upper surface thereof and a pair of aligned transverse apertures extending through the corresponding second and third fin-shaped lugs, the first fin-shaped lug interposed between the second and third fin-shaped lugs such that the apertures of said first, second, and third fin-shaped lugs are all aligned along a common horizontal central axis, a pin transversely-extendible through said aligned first, second, and third apertures for selectively coupling the seat shell to the circular disk member, the first, second, and third fin-shaped lugs and the pin, together, defining a tilt support mechanism enabling forward and rearward tilting of said seat shell about said common horizontal central axis, a swivel base member having a circular depression provided in an upper surface thereof and a pair of roller members extending outwardly from opposite front and rear sides of the swivel base member, the circular depression having a peripheral sidewall conforming to a corresponding peripheral edge of said circular disk member, the circular depression and the circular disk member, together, defining a swivel support mechanism enabling rotation of said seat shell about a vertical central axis of said base assembly, and a lower base platform having a pair of spaced-apart front and rear sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom, each sidewall having a slot provided therein for sliding engagement with a respective one of said pair of roller members extending outwardly from the swivel base member, thereby enabling lateral sliding of the swivel base member relative to the lower base platform.
 2. The multi-position chair as recited in claim 1, said swivel base further comprising an annular rim extending inwardly and partially overhanging the peripheral sidewall of said circular depression so as to retain said circular disk member within said circular depression.
 3. The multi-position chair as recited in claim 1 wherein said child restraint comprises a pair of elongated seatbelts laterally spaced apart from one another and attached to said front side of said back portion of said seat shell for securing the child to said seat shell.
 4. A multi-position chair, comprising: a seat shell for accommodating a child thereon, said seat shell comprising a bottom portion and a back portion affixed to and extending upright from said bottom portion; a child restraint on a front side of said back portion of said seat shell for securing the child to said seat shell; and a base assembly supporting said seat shell, said base assembly comprising a swivel support mechanism supporting said seat shell in an upright position and having first and second interengaged members rotatably coupled to one another in a manner enabling horizontal rotation of said seat shell along a central vertical axis extending through said bottom portion of said seat shell while oriented in an upright position, a tilt support mechanism facilitating forward and rearward tilting of said seat shell relative to said swivel support mechanism, said tilt support mechanism including a pin member for selectively coupling said seat shell to said swivel support mechanism in a manner enabling said forward and rearward tilting about a central horizontal axis of said pin member, and a slide support mechanism having first and second intercoupled members being linearly displaceable relative to one another, said second intercoupled member directly supporting said first intercoupled member in an upright orientation and thereby indirectly supporting, via said first intercoupled member, said first and second interengaged members of said swivel support mechanism in said upright orientation such that said first interengaged member rotates relative to said second interengaged member about said central vertical axis extending through said bottom portion of said seat shell in said upright position irrespective of the linear displacement of said first intercoupled member relative to said second intercoupled member.
 5. The multi-position chair as recited in claim 4 wherein said first interengaged member of said swivel support mechanism comprises a circular-shaped plate; and wherein said second interengaged member of said swivel support mechanism comprises a cylindrical-shaped cavity supported by said slide mechanism and receiving and rotatably coupled to said circular-shaped plate.
 6. The multi-position chair as recited in claim 5 wherein said second interengaged member of said swivel support mechanism further comprises a circular-shaped inner rim that overlies a peripheral edge of said circular-shaped plate so as to retain said circular-shaped plate within said cavity.
 7. The multi-position chair as recited in claim 5 wherein said second intercoupled member of said slide support mechanism comprises a base platform defining a track; and wherein said first intercoupled member of said slide support mechanism comprises a rectangular-shaped body defining said cylindrical-shaped cavity of said swivel support mechanism and being mounted to said track of said base platform for undergoing linear movement in either one of opposite directions relative to said base platform.
 8. The multi-position chair as recited in claim 4 wherein said child restraint comprises a pair of elongated seatbelts laterally spaced apart from one another and attached to said front side of said back portion of said seat shell for securing the child to said seat shell. 